Southern States - Andhra Pradesh-Hyderabad   

Centre to build 45 lakh houses by 2004-2005-end: Dattatreya

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD Sept. 14. The NDA Government will construct 45 lakh houses all over the country by the end of 2004-05 to make up the shortfall and meet the target under the two million houses per year scheme launched in 1998, Union Minister of State for Urban Development and Poverty Alleviation, B Dattatreya, said here on Sunday.

Addressing the first press conference after taking over the new Ministry, he said that as many as 75 lakh houses were constructed by HUDCO so far under the scheme. About 22.22 lakh houses were constructed in urban areas and 27.67 lakh houses in rural areas. About 18 lakh urban units were covered by other financial institutions and 4.72 lakh units covered under the cooperative sector. He said that under the scheme, it was envisaged to construct seven lakh urban units and 13 lakh rural units across the country every year.

During the last five years, 6.66 lakh rural houses and 1.37 lakh urban houses were sanctioned in Andhra Pradesh by HUDCO. The total project cost is Rs.1643.86 crores and the loan amount sanctioned is Rs.802.44 crores.

Mr. Dattatreya said that the estimated shortage of housing by the end of 10th plan period was 2.244 crore units with total fund requirement of Rs.4,26,967.18 crores. He said that the NDA Government had taken several major initiatives for improving the housing scenario, including the lowering of interest rates on housing loans, the launch of the National Housing and Habitat Policy, Initiation of two Million Housing Programme, Urban Reforms Incentive Fund with the creation of Rs.500 crores, legal reforms including repeal of Urban Land Ceiling Act, fiscal concessions for investment in housing in the form of IT concession, FDI in housing and promotion of cost effective technologies.

Replying to a question, he said that ideally the Centre would extend concessions to the states, which bring down stamp duty to 5 per cent. He appealed to the Andhra Pradesh Government to repeal the Land Ceiling Act.

Asked if the recent stamp scam would affect the BJP's chances in the Karwan byelections, he replied in the negative saying that development is the key issue. He expressed confidence that the BJP would win the seat though the MIM and Congress (I) had entered a tacit understanding.

On reports that the BJP and TDP were trying to protect former Minister Krishna Yadav, who was arrested in the stamp scam, he said that the Congress (I) had no moral right to talk about corruption. Though the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister had agreed to a CBI probe, the Maharashtra and Karnataka Governments are not in favour of it.

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